Controlling device for automatic musical instruments and players.



E. G. CLARK. GONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSIUAL INSTRUMENTS ANDPLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1910.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.,wAsHxNcToN. D c

E. G. CLARK.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 21, 1910.

. Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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B,G.GLARK. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ANDPLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. Z1, 1910.

1,005,41 3. l Patented oct. 1o, 1911. I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

coLuMmA PLANOURAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

E. G. CLARK.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.21, 1916.

1,005,41 3. Patented 001;. 1o, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

coLuMBlA PLANDGRAPH c0..wASHlNGTON, D. c.

ERNEST G. CLARK, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND PLAYERS.

nooners.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Original application filed. January 27, 1909, Serial No. 474,364.Divided and this application filed March 21,

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST G. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at De Kalb, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices forAutomatic Musical Instruments and Players, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 474,364,tiled January 27, 1909, for controller sheet for automatic musicalinstrument players.

It relates to the coperating features of construction of controllersheet and tracker board connected with two pneumatic actions for playingupon the same instrument.

It consists of the elements and features of construction shown anddescribed as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figures 1 and Q are respectively upper and lower, orright and left hand portions of an elevation of a portion of a trackerboard and portion of controller sheet embodying this invention, the viewbeing divided in two figures, overlapping to the extent of a few notes,because of its extent. Fig. 3 is a section of the tracker board at theline 3 3 on Figs. 1 and 2, portions intermediate the middle and the endsrespectively of the board being broken away to condense the view. Fig. 4is a detail front elevation of tracker board and controller sheet androlls showing customary means of relative adjustment of the trackerboard and controller sheet. Fig. 5 is a foreand-aft vertical section ofan instrument equipped with this invention at a point in the lengththereof indicated by the line 5 5 on Fig. 3.

The perforated sheet, A, is intended to be understood as having anaggregate of 116 rows of perforations, a, for playing, in addition toother apertures hereinafter mentioned for controlling expression. Themiddle group, B, of these rows of perforations is appropriated toplaying one part of music, preferably the accompaniment, and is to beunderstood as having 63 of said rows, such rows being indicated on thedrawings by numerals, 1 to 63, inclusive, at the head of Figs. 1 and 2,in position corre` sponding to the rows, respectively, perforations, a,being represented in certain of said Serial No. 550,715.

rows; and the lateral groups, C and C1, in` tended to be understood ascomprising, respectively, 26 and 27, rows of perforations whosepositions are indicated in dotted lines numbered from 1 to 53, at thehead of Figs. l and 2, are appropriated to playing another part as asolo or melody, the right-hand group, numbered from 27 to 53 inclusive,controlling the treble, and the left-hand group, numbered from 1 to 26inclusive, controlling the bass of such solo or melody part. (It will beunderstood that these numerals are not placed on the perforated sheetsthemselves.) The sheet thus designed and constructed is designed to bemounted for coperation, as will be readily understood, with acorrespondingly constructed tracker' board, M, having the middle group,N, of its ducts corresponding to the middle group, B, of the controllersheet perforations and connected by tubes, n, with the primarypneumatics of a pneumatic action., of which one pneumatic is shown at Rin Fig. 5 forA operating the playing devices, and having the end groups,O and O1, corresponding to the groups, C and C1, of the controller sheetperforations, connected also 'by ducts, o, with primary pneumatics of apneumatic action, of which one pneumatic is shown at S in Fig. 5, foroperating the playing devices.

The connections and operating mechanism and playing devices constituteno part of this invention and may be of any character known or customaryin the art.

In order that the controller sheet of the construction indicated and thetracker board with which it coperates may be relatively adjustable indirection transverse to the travel of the controller sheet for thepurpose of transposition, the customary chromatic arrangement of thetracker ducts being in that case necessarily employed in the respectivegroups appropriated for solo and accompaniment, as indicated by thecustomary names of the tones applied to the duct mouths on Fig. 1,' itis necessary to allow for a certain number of steps of such relativeadjustment of the controller' sheet and tracker without causing themiddle group, B, of controller sheet perforations to lap onto either ofthe end groups, O or O1, of the tracker ducts appropriated, for example,to the solo, or causing the lateral groups, C or C1, of the controllersheet to lap onto the middle group, N, of the tracker ductsappropriated, for example, to accompaniment, As illustrated, 63 rows ofperforations constituting the group, B, of the controller sheet,appropriated for accompaniment, and a range of adjustment two steps ineach direction from middle position being allowed for transposition, thetracker board has 67 ducts comprised in the middle group, N, so that theentire 63 rows of apertures 0 of the controller sheet of group B, areavailable throughout the entire range of transposition provided for, andthis group, B, is spaced from the lateral groups, C and C1, by thedistance which would be required for four rows of perforations, creatingwhat may be termed blind areas or zones c and 01, (between the dottedlines, v and w) between the perforated areas appropriated to the groupsof perforations, C, B and C1. rlhe two groups, C and C1, comprisingrespectively 2G and 27 rows of perforations, correspond and are adaptedto cooperate respectively with the end groups, O and O1, of trackerducts, each consisting of 30 ducts, the excess above the number of rowsof perfor-ations of the controller sheet being required fortransposition.

In order that the available ducts of the groups, O and O1, of thetracker board may constitute a continuous chromatic series at allpositions of adjustment for transposition, it is necessary that fourducts of each group at the proximate ends of the two groups should beconnected with pneumatics for playing the same four note's; thus, theducts l and la, of the groups, O and O1, respectively, are connected tothe same flexible tube, 1X, for playing the same note. rlhe ducts, 2 and22, are likewise connected to similar flexible tubes, 2X, for playingthe next note. The ducts, 3 and 3a, are connected to the same flexibletube, 3", for playing the next following note, and the ducts, d and 41,are connected to the same flexible tube, 4X, for playing the same note,being the highest note which can be played upon the lower section, O, ofthe solo range.

It will be understood that the two sets of tracker ducts for connectionwith the separate set of pneumatics (not shown) are to be thus connectedfor playing the same notes, to the extent of the number of the smallergroup which, as illustrated, is the group comprising the two solosections, O and O1. Of the resulting fact that for each of 53 notes,which is the range of the solo sections, there are provided two rows ofperforations, one row in the solo areas and one row in the accompanimentarea of the controller sheet, advantage may be taken to overcome amechanical difficulty which has been experienced in providingperforations for long-sustained notes. The mechanical objection to longperforations in the controller sheet is obvious and well understood,viz., that the paper is thereby rendered liable to spread laterally,very slight warping of the paper tending to produce this result. Thisdiflieulty has been in part met heretofore by interposing the shortestpossible bridges at intervals in such long apertures, the intentionbeing to have such bridges of less width, or extent in the direction ofthe length of the paper, than the dimension in that direction of thetracker mouth, so that the air will not be totally cut off while thebridge is passing the tracker. This, however, is not usually practicallyaccomplished, and the result is liable to be the interruption of thetone whenever such a bridge passes the tracker mouth, thus defeating thepurpose, which is to obtain a sustained tone. In such cases,-that is,where long-sustained tones are to be produced, whether in theaccompaniment or solo,-an initial portion of the aperture is cut in thearea pertaining to the part to which the tone in question belongs, sothat the expression or intensity will be controlled in accordance withthat part; and a succeeding portion of the aperture, or, in fact, asupplemental aperture, is cut in the area pertaining to the other partof the music at the longitudinal line corresponding to the same note. Ifthe length of the tone is greater' than can be provided for by the twoslots supplementing each other, each of only practical orunobjectionable length, a third supplemental slot or portion will be cutin the area in which the initial portion was cut, and of course in thesame longitudinal line; and the same process may be continued by cuttinga fourth section or portion of the slot in the other area, and so onindefinitely to any necessary extent, or to any extent to which a tonemay practically be sustained from the original stroke, each section orportion of the slot being thus made so short as to entirely avoid anydanger of causing the paper to spread. In Fig. l, the slots or elongatedperforations, N1, N10, N11, l 2 and N20, are of this character, theslot, N1, in the solo area being the initial slot for a sustained toneof the solo, the slot, N2, in the accompaniment area being positionedfor playing the same note, and the slot, N10, in longitudinal line withthe slot, N1, being provided to succeed the action of the slot, N2,while the slot, N20, in the same line with the slot, N2, in turnsucceeds the slot, N10, being succeeded by the slot, N11, for completingthe tone to the end of the time for which it is required to besustained. In order that there may be no possibility of interruption ofthe tone in passing the control thereof from the slot in one area to thesupplemental slot in the other area, the consecutive slots, one in onearea and the next in the other area, are overlapped in the length of thesheet, as seen and indicated by the transverse dotted lines, m1 and nl,located at the position of the terminal and initial ends of the slots,N1 and N2 respectively,-for example, the space between these dottedlines indicating the overlap.

In connection with the double sets of perforations and correspondingdouble sets of tracker ducts described, and for the purpose ofindependently controlling the expression or intensity of the playingresulting from the control of the instrument by the respective areas,there may be provided lateral perforations, D and D1, outside the areas,C and C1, respectively, of the controller sheet, such aperturescooperating with ducts, P and P1, correspondingly situated in theopposite end portions of the tracker board,- that is, outside the areasappropriated to the ducts, O and O1, respectively. The aperture, D, andtracker duct, P, are designed for connection with suitable devices (notshown) for controlling the expression of one part of the music, as theaccompaniment, and the apertures, D1, and tracker duct, P1, aresimilarly designed for connection with means for controlling theexpression of the other part, as the solo. 1n order that thesesupplemental apertures and ducts may be in register throughout the wholerange of transposition, and that said apertures may not at any timeoverlap any of the tracker ducts for playing notes of the music, andthat the apertures of the adjacent groups O and O1, may not, in anytransposition, overlap the supplemental tracker' ducts and so affect theexpression, there are left unperforated Zones or areas, CZ, CZ, betweenthe groups of perforations, C, and the supplemental perforation, D, andbetween the group, C1, and the supplemental perforation, D1, saidunperforated areas (represented between dotted lines r and s) being inwidth equal to half the range of movement allowed for transposition,which, as illustrated, is four steps; and in order that this width shallbe sufficient for the purpose, the supplemental tracker ducts, P and P1,are spaced from the eXtreme ducts of the groups O and O1, respectively,by an equal amount,-that is, half the range of transposition movement.At the middle position of the tracker sheet on the tracker board, theZones or paths of the supplemental perforations, D and D1, coincide attheir lateral boundaries with the lateral boundaries of the mouths ofthe ducts, P and P1, respectively, and at the eXtreme adjustment of thetracker board relatively to the paper in either direction said Zones orpaths lap onethird of their width at the opposite side of said ductmouths respectively, and at such position the blind areas, CZ, (Z, ofthe paper at one side cover the extreme tracker duct mouths of one ofthe solo groups, and at the other side the other two-thirds ofthetracker duct mouth, P, P1, as the case may be.

It will be understood from Fig. 5 that the pneumatics of the action towhich the pneumatic, S, belongs operate the hammer action of the severalkeys to which said pneumatics, S, respectively pertain by means of bellcrank levers such as S1, rocked by the collapse of the pneumatic,'S2,and by their horizontal arms, S1, engaging hooks, s2, upstanding fromthe manual keys respectively, so that the rear ends of thel manual keysare uplifted by the collapse of the pneumatic. It will be understoodalso that the motor pneumatics, R1, operate the hammer action by thestroke of the pitman, R2, extending from said motor pneumatics,respectively, as indicated by the one shown in Fig. 5, downwardly uponthe forward portion of the manual keys which the pneumatics respectivelyoverhang; and it will be seen that the two pneumatics operating upon thesame manual key perform their work each independentljT of the other.

As stated, the features which distinguish the perforated sheet in itsrelation to the tracker board, are designed with reference to theadaptation of the sheets and tracker board to each other, when the twoare relatively movable transversely of the direction of travel of theperforated sheet for transposition; and in Fig. 4 1 have shown acustomary construction for such relative adjustability of the trackerboard and perforated sheet. rllhe means for adjustment consisting in thetracker board being mounted for movement longitudinally, that istransversely of the sheet, in its support, and having means for somoving it consisting of a screw X, mounted in one of the supports,engaging an arm Y, connected with the stem Z, of the tracker board,which extends through the support, the screw when turned to the right orleft causing the tracker board to be moved in its bearings transverselyof the sheet A. This construction will be recognized as old andfamiliar. In itself it forms no part of the novelty of the presentinvention.

1 claim 1. A perforated controller sheet for an automatic musicalinstrument having a middle group and two lateral groups of rows ofperforations, the middle group being spaced from the lateral. groups byareas devoid of perforations and equal in width to a multiple of thespace unit or distance from center to center of consecutive rows ofapertures in the groups, in combination with a tracker board having amiddle group of ducts for registering with the middle group ofperforations comprising ducts exceeding in number the number ofperforations of said middle group by a number equal to the number ofperforations which can be accommodated in the width of one of saidunperforated areas of the controller sheet and having end groups ofducts for registering respectively with the lateral groups ofperforations of the controller and equal in number to the rows ofperforations in said lateral groups respectively.

2. A perforated controller sheet for an automat-ic musical instrumenthaving a middle group of rows of perforations and two lateral groups,the middle group being spaced from the lateral groups by unperforatedareas or zones equal in width to a multiple of the unit space ordistance from center to center of consecutive rows of perforations insaid groups, in combination with a tracker board having a middle groupof ducts for registering with the middle group of perforations andexceeding in number said middle group by the number of ducts occupyingspace in said tracker board equal to the width of one of saidunperforated areas or Zones of the controller sheet, and having endgroups adapted to register with the lateral groups of perforations ofthe sheet, the ducts of the proximate ends of said middle group to thenumber at each end occupying space equal to said unperforated areasrespectively, being connected for playing the same consecutive notes,and means for relatively adjusting the tracker board and controllersheet transversely with respect to the travel of said sheet, saidelements being relatively mounted for said adjustment to the extent ofthe width of said unperforated areas. 1

3. In combination with a tracker board having two sets of ducts allcomprised in one row extending lengthwise of the tracker board, twopneumatic actions with which said two sets of ducts respectivelycommunicate positioned for operating upon the same set of manual keys ofthe instrument to be played; a perforated controller sheet having rowsof perforations in groups corresponding to the position in the length ofthe tracker board of the two sets of ducts for registering with saidsets respectively, and having perforations in said two groups positionedfor controlling pneumatics of their respective actions for striking thesame manual key, such perforations having their proximate ends lappingby each other for causing the action upon the manual key controlled bythe later of said perforations to communicate before the actioncontrolled by the earlier of them ceases.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at De Kalb, Illinois,this eighteenth day of March, 1910.

ERNEST G. CLARK.

Witnesses EUGENE lVHrrMoRn, ZIEGNER Swanson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

